Like new shiny things do you? Me too. But buying a new iPhone 6S is unlikely to be a good example of being clever with your cash. However, there are a few ways you can get one for less (if there’s any stock).
I’m an Apple fan. I’ve currently got an iPhone 6, and before that I had a 5C, which replaced a 4S, which was an upgrade on my 3S. That’s about six years of buying a phone that is probably not worth the cost!
In my defence, it’s one of my only indulgences and I’ve always managed to get the best price possible!
So here are my tips if you’re after the spangly iPhone 6S when it hits the shops at the end of September.
Work out the total cost of your iPhone and tariff
This is true for any new phone you buy. The mobile companies don’t always make this easy for you, so here’s what to do.
- Multiply the monthly cost by the length of your contract
- Add on the cost of the handset
The amount you have left is your real total cost. Now do the same calculations for other other tariffs on this and the other networks.
You’ll find different costs for the same handset, minutes, data and text, even with the same network!
Don’t get more than you need
It’s easy to be upsold on how many minutes and texts you need, though the networks are offering unlimited now as they know it makes little difference. Where they’ll get you is the data.
For an iPhone I’d say you need at least 1GB. That should be fine for most, but if you stream a lot of music and video you’ll want more. However I’ve seen tariffs that offer 10GB, 20GB and even 30GB! That just seems like a crazy amount, especially as you should be connecting to wifi at home.
You might also be tempted to go for the biggest iPhone for storage. I went for the 64GB which is decent for how I use the phone. 16GB would have been too little, but 128GB would have been a waste of money.
Ditch the major mobile networks
You’ve probably been with the same network for a long time, and if you have switched, it’s probably to another major network.
However there are now lots of smaller operators offering far cheaper deals. And the good news is you won’t suffer a loss of signal as they all use one of the bigger networks.
- GiffGaff and Tesco Mobile use O2
- Asda Mobile, Virgin, BT, Post Office Mobile and The People’s Operator use EE
- Sainsbury’s Mobile and Talk Talk use Vodafone
- ID Mobile uses Three
Don’t upgrade! Buy the handset and get a SIM only contract
Now, we’re all conditioned to pressure the networks to get a great deal. Tell them you’ll leave and they’ll offer you a fantastic price cut to get you to stay. That might be true for some handsets – possibly even the iPhone 6 now it’s been superseded – but you won’t get this with the iPhone 6S.
Instead, you’ll probably find it cheaper to buy an unlocked handset and choose the best SIM only deal on the market. Now, the networks haven’t announced prices yet, so it’s always worth checking the deals, but last year this was the cheapest option on release.
You might be able to get a discount on your SIM only contract with your existing network, so make sure you ask.
Buy one abroad
This is going to be difficult for most, but I managed to save myself £100 by doing this last year. I already had a trip planned to New York, and though it was a nightmare tracking down available stock, I managed to snare my iPhone 6 on the last day of the holiday.
I then sold my iPhone 5C on eBay for £340 – far more than the recycling sites were offering. Here are my tips for selling your old phone.
Try for cashback
You are unlikely to get cashback on the new iPhone but it’s not impossible. Try both Topcashback and Quidco.
Last year, only EE offered iPhone 6 cashback on release.
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